[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 67 (Wednesday, April 17, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E363]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   CONGRATULATING TOM FANNING ON HIS RETIREMENT FROM SOUTHERN COMPANY

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. RICK W. ALLEN

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 17, 2024

  Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Tom Fanning on his 
retirement after more than four decades of service to Southern Company 
and its customers in my region.
  Tom Fanning was named President of Southern Company in August of 
2010, and assumed the additional roles of Chairman and CEO four months 
later. During his time at Southern Company, Tom held executive roles 
across various business disciplines, including finance, strategy, 
international business development, and technology. As President, 
Chairman, and CEO, he received numerous awards and accolades, including 
being named one of the most influential leaders in the energy industry 
in the past 25 years.
  Under Tom's visionary leadership, Southern Company led the way in 
providing clean, safe, reliable, and affordable energy to its 
customers. Tom's tenure was characterized by his boundless energy and 
his strong commitment to innovation and the development of new energy 
technologies to meet the challenges of the future. During his tenure, 
Southern achieved a number of remarkable milestones, most notably 
completion of the first new nuclear generation unit in the United 
States in three decades at Plant Vogtle in Georgia's 12th District.
  Tom also became one of our country's leading voices in the area of 
cybersecurity. For nearly a decade, he served as co-chair of the 
Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council, which is the principal 
liaison between the federal government and the electric power sector 
protecting the electric grid from threats. Fanning's leadership was 
recognized by the U.S. Senate in 2019 with an appointment to the 
Cyberspace Solarium Commission, a group charged with developing a 
strategy to protect the cyberspace interests of the U.S. He was also 
appointed by the White House to serve as chairman of the advisory board 
to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the 
agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with 
protecting the Nation's critical infrastructure from both cyber and 
physical threats.
  Although he is stepping down from his role at Southern Company, I 
know Tom will continue to be active on the many issues about which he 
is passionate. I salute him for his extraordinary service, and I wish 
him and his family all the best in the years ahead.

                          ____________________